Lead Sails Paper Anchor (Digital Album)

by

Atreyu

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Atreyu is one of those bands that seems to polarize people. As with many other bands who have been around for several albums and have begun to make money, the hipsters cry foul because their band did the unthinkable and "sold out" (as if that phrase is any more relevant these days than the term "alternative.")

The point is, this album features a different Atreyu, but not one that is entirely unfamiliar. The screaming guitar solos are still firmly in place, the lyrics dripping with pain and tempered by sarcasm are still around, but now the blast-beats have been replaced with more experimental time-signatures and drumming styles, and the vocals, though still harsh, feature more musicality this time around.

If you go back and listen to the last few Atreyu albums you'll see a definite progression. Their music has gotten more complex, and this album is the pinnacle of that trend thus far. The trappings of metalcore have been pulled aside to allow us to see the boys as what they really are: older, wiser and better song-writers than they were in the "butterfly kisses" era.

The first track, "Doomsday," starts things off with a bang, featuring enough savagery to be on your driving in the city mix tape, but a sing-a-long chorus that might surprise you. "Falling Down" really shows that Atreyu wanted to try something different, with a totally different sound than they've EVER displayed before: Metalcore-swing? Perhaps. There are other highlights too, like the poppy "No One Cares" where tones of the guilty pleasure of Bon Jovi bleed through the angst and brutality. "Blow" sounds like the raw punk metal of The Letters Organize, only slowed down a bit... fun stuff. That's the key: Atreyu sounds like their actually having FUN. I know that doesn't sit right with the hipsters (fun isn't cool, you know) but it certainly makes for a fun listening experience.

I am in no way against change, maturity, or broadening your audience, but I am still disappointed with this release. Atreyu had a few albums under their belt and had developed a nice sized fan base with their old material. Now comes Lead Sails Paper Anchor. Definately a sound unlike any heard on the previous releases. There is no screaming on the album whatsoever. This is not to say that I need screaming in a band for me to like it, but I already knew Atreyu as a screaming band. I liked his voice when he screamed. It's what drew my attention the first time I heard them. I'm not trying to say that Atreyu can't broaden their sound, but the change was distinct and abrupt. The thing that saddens me is that now there is no one who sounds like Atreyu. Lead Sails Paper Anchor sounds like The Used.( In fact when I heard one of the songs on the radio I thought it WAS The Used.) Atreyu was the only band I could go to to hear that certain kind of sound. Their new sound sounds like a hundred other bands out there. If you like the old sound of Atreyu stick with the older albums. If you like the newer sound than try Lies For Liars by The Used. Ultimately, this album takes them out of the category they used to be in and puts them at the middle of the pack of a brand new category. It's a shame.